The Red Mansion

Chapter 49: Baby, you will be wronged again

Aunt Xue was disappointed to see that Lady Jia declined to help, but she did not dare to say much. She presented the various gifts and favors she had brought from Jiangning as a reward, and had no intention of attending the welcoming banquet hosted by the Rongguo Mansion, so she said goodbye and left.

Mrs. Wang sent Aunt Xue to the second gate. Seeing her sister's lonely back, she felt sad, but could do nothing.

Aunt Xue returned to Wang's house in a depressed mood, with a dejected look and heavy steps.

When Xue Baochai and Xue Pan saw Aunt Xue in such a state, they knew without asking any questions that their hopes for this trip were dashed.

Xue Baochai stepped forward to support Aunt Xue and said softly, "You've worked hard, Mom. Please take a rest."

Aunt Xue shook her head and sighed, then took Xue Baochai's hand and said, "At this point, we have no choice but to ask Jiang Nian for help. He's truly unfathomable, and extremely close to the Thirteenth Prince. It was the Thirteenth Prince who denounced him to the Emperor, causing this disaster for our family. He...he's taken a fancy to you and loves you very much, and you...you've already promised him as a concubine. You go and ask him, and he'll ask the Thirteenth Prince for help. Even if we can't keep your uncle's position as Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp, at least we can keep our family's position as Imperial Merchants!"

Xue Baochai: “…”

This mother, she's at it again!

At this moment, Xue Baochai couldn't help but recall that she was persuaded by Aunt Xue to go to Jiangning to apologize to Jiang Nian.

And now, Aunt Xue wants her to go to Jiang Nian's house to ask for help.

Xue Baochai's slender fingers wrinkled the silk handkerchief as she said bitterly, "Mother, please don't blame me for being rude! This time, we wanted to violate the promise we made to my uncle and ask him to subdue him. But my uncle had a big fight with him and forced him to ask the Thirteenth Prince for help... We've been in trouble because of this, and now we have to ask him for help. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Aunt Xue's expression was mournful. "I know you have a point, but now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to ask him for help. Is there any chance of preserving our family's position as the Imperial Merchant? If this reputation is ruined, how can your father rest in peace? My son, Mom... I beg you, for the sake of our Xue family, will you endure this injustice once more? This time, I'll go with you to ask him for help, okay?"

Xue Baochai actually doesn't like to cry, but now she feels so aggrieved that her long eyelashes tremble and her eyes are full of tears.

She finally nodded, her coral earrings dangling gently on her pale cheeks, and whispered, "Then let's go together."

Aunt Xue glanced at Xue Pan, who was startled, fearing that his mother would ask him to go too. He didn't want to lose face like this. He had previously led Wang Ziteng to threaten Jiang Nian, making him feel guilty about Jiang Nian.

Before Aunt Xue could speak, Xue Pan said, "You guys go, I...I won't go."

Aunt Xue glared at him and did not persuade him to go. She knew that it would not make much difference if he went. The key was to have Xue Baochai go.

Immediately, Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai took a carriage to the Jiang family in the eastern suburbs.

Just yesterday, Aunt Xue looked down on Jiang Nian because of that old little house. Xue Baochai also looked down on Jiang Nian because of that old little house and was worried about her own future.

And today, this mother and daughter are going to that old little house to beg Jiang Nian...

……

……

Wang Ziteng personally handed over the three thousand taels of silver as compensation to the Qin family to Prince Zhongyi, and confessed his guilt to Prince Zhongyi in person.

Wang Ziteng knew that it must have been Prince Zhongyi who made the report to Emperor Taishun, who in turn reported it to the retired Emperor Jingning, which led to the punishment of both him and the Xue family.

Although Wang Ziteng was proud and arrogant, he also knew that at this point, he should please Prince Zhongyi. In this way, he would be more likely to regain his high position and return to the core of the court.

Prince Zhongyi ordered his trusted guard, Bao Yan, to deliver a three thousand tael silver note to Jiang Nian, who would then pass it on to the Qin family. Bao Yan, carrying the three thousand taels of silver, rode to the eastern outskirts of Shenjing City. He dismounted and knocked at the gate of the Jiang family's small residence.

The gatekeeper was the servant Dong Feng. He opened the door gently and after learning who the visitor was, he hurriedly reported to Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian personally came to the gate to greet him. He smiled and said, "Guard Bao, please come in!"

According to the official etiquette of Daqing, officials of the fourth rank and above can be called "adults".

Bao Yan is a third-rank military officer, so naturally he can do it.

However, Bao Yannian remembered that the Thirteenth Prince was close to Jiang Nian, so when he and Jiang Nian rode on the same horse to send Jiang Nian home yesterday, he asked Jiang Nian to call him "Guard Bao" from now on.

Bao Yan followed Jiang Nian into the inner courtyard and saw that the small house looked brand new compared to the day he had accompanied the Thirteenth Prince. It had been meticulously cleaned and tidied. The beds, couches, tables, chairs, and stools that had been scattered about in the inner courtyard had all been moved inside, and the previously empty house was now filled with a host of other items.

Jiang Nian invited Bao Yan into the main hall, and after he sat down, he ordered the maid Qi'er to serve Bao Yan fragrant tea.

Bao Yan pulled out a three thousand tael silver note from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Nian. He then told Jiang Nian the punishment Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun had decided for yesterday's incident, his words quite polite. A first-class guard in his thirties, he seemed to treat the fifteen-year-old Jiang Nian as a peer.

After hearing this, Jiang Nian felt satisfied. This punishment was better than he expected.

He thought to himself, "Wang Ziteng is going to end up badly if he messes with me, the son of destiny."

It was a pity that the Xue family's imperial merchant title was gone. He had originally planned to take Xue Baochai as a concubine so that he could use the Xue family's imperial merchant title to profit. But then he thought, for him, an imperial merchant title probably wouldn't be of much use. The most useful thing about the Xue family now was their property...

After finishing his work, Bao Yan was about to leave. Jiang Nian suddenly took out a silver note and put it into his hand, saying gently, "Guard Bao, you sent me back yesterday, and you've troubled me again today. This is a small token of your appreciation. It will be used as tea money. I hope you will accept it."

Bao Yan glanced at the banknote and found it was a hundred taels of silver. He did not pretend to refuse and said with a smile, "Brother Nian, you are so polite. Thank you."

For Bao Yan, one hundred taels of silver was not a small amount but not too much either. If it was more or less, he would hesitate whether to accept it.

Jiang Nian sent Bao Yan to the door of the house and watched him ride away on horseback.

Obviously, he deliberately wanted to make friends with Bao Yan, the Thirteenth Prince's trusted first-class guard.

Jiang Nian, carrying a silver note worth three thousand taels, walked towards the Qin family next door, ready to give the silver note to Qin Keqing, all three thousand taels.

As soon as Jiang Nian entered the Qin family's inner courtyard, he heard a call of his name: "Master Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion has arrived!"

According to Daqing funeral etiquette, there is often a ceremony of calling out the names of the deceased when visiting and paying respects.

The so-called roll call ceremony refers to the practice of loudly announcing the names of mourners before they enter the mourning hall to pay their respects. This is a sign of respect for the deceased, a way for the host family to identify the mourners, and a courtesy to the mourners. Roll call was particularly common among the families of officials and wealthy families.

At this moment, Jiang Nian heard the name being called and frowned slightly. He saw a man who looked to be nearly 40 years old and dressed in luxurious clothes walked into the mourning hall.

"Jia Zhen is here, huh!"

(End of this chapter)